Geographical indication to "Osmaneli Lefke Stone"
The "Osmaneli Lefke Stone", which adorns historical buildings, is under protection with geographical indication.
The application made to the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office by Osmaneli Municipality, with the support of Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University and Istanbul Commerce University, has been finalized. Geographical indication certificate was given to the building stone, which took its name from the old name of the district, Lefke.
The stone, of which 7 million 600 thousand tons of reserves have been determined according to the measurements made within the boundaries of the district, is removed from the quarry in a yellowish color, but over time, its surfaces turn greenish as it comes into contact with the oxygen in the air.
Lefke stone, which has a massive feature and is used as a sandstone and building stone, can be used on walls in some historical buildings, and in areas where masonry construction and the skeleton structure, where the pillars, columns and arches are carriers, can also be decorated.
The processing of the Lefke stone, which is used in the historical Haydarpaşa Train Station, Bebek Mosque, Bostancı Mosque and Eskişehir Government House built in 1945-1948 in Istanbul, differs in terms of production technique and method, requires mastery skills.
"We need Lefke stone in restorations"
Osmaneli Mayor Münür Şahin told Anadolu Agency (AA) that it is known that the Lefke stone has been used since the Roman period.
Stating that the Rüstem Pasha Mosque and some other mosques, as well as the Hagia Yorgi Church, which is one of the historical values of the district, were built from this stone, Şahin said, "In the historical Osmaneli mansions, especially the parts we call sub-basement were made of these stones."
Şahin stated that the Lefke stone stands out because it is easy to process after extraction, is very durable when hardened, and does not retain moisture due to its sandstone quality.
Explaining that after quince delight and watermelon, the district has achieved its third geographical indication, Şahin continued as follows:
"Because Lefke stone was used extensively in old buildings, our works that have survived since then have not been affected, although they have been exposed to many earthquakes. This is the characteristic of Lefke stone. It is a very strong stone as a building element with an angular shape. It was used in Istanbul and Bilecik in the 1999 Marmara Earthquake. The historical artifacts made of Lefke stone were not damaged. I hope it will not happen again. It is an earthquake resistant, non-melting stone. In other words, it is a stone that maintains its ossified state even after years have passed. In this sense, it is a beautiful and special building element. As Osmaneli Municipality, we obtained the right to operate the public interest from the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources. We need Lefke stone for restorations. We will definitely use Lefke stone in the buildings we will build."
Şahin stated that Lefke stone was also used in the exterior cladding of TOKİ buildings in the city.
The registration process took approximately 4 years
Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University Vocational School Lecturer Mesut Kaplan also stated that they are happy to have completed the registration of the Lefke stone in a period of approximately 4 years.
Noting that they revealed the characteristics of the product that distinguishes it from other stones, as a result of the analysis, and the registration was made as a result of the evaluations, Kaplan said, "Although it is a very soft stone, it hardens over time where it is processed and its surface turns from yellow to a greenish color. Its surface is a stone that adapts to the surfaces of the buildings. Therefore, it is not affected much by natural disasters such as earthquakes."
Kaplan added that the mine is only found in Osmaneli district in Turkey and that the Lefke stone can also be used for restoration and various purposes.